Over 100 MPs, Senators and Staff Shoot at CSSA-Led Range Day

9 Jun 2017

2min read

More than 100 members of parliament, senators and their staff went shooting this week at an annual range day organized by the Canadian Shooting Sports Association in what the group said is one of the largest non-partisan events on Parliament Hill.

Members of all the major parties battled wind, cold and rain to shoot everything from handguns and black rifles to long-range rifles and shotguns for trap and skeet, the CSSA said today in its weekly newsletter.

“The rain this morning could not dampen our spirits, and it was evident that those who had their first experience with firearms were quite simply having a blast,” Robert Sopuck, a Conservative Party MP from Manitoba, told the House of Commons on June 06, the day of the event, according to the official transcript.

‘Help Them Understand’

“My hope is that the participants' experiences will help them understand that the rights of law-abiding firearms owners and enthusiasts must be respected,” Sopuck said. “They should not be attacked for enjoying their way of life. Canadian firearms owners deserve nothing less.”

The sixth range day for politicians was held at Stittsville Shooting Ranges Inc., about 40 km southwest of the House of Commons. It’s organized by the CSSA with the Canadian Sporting Arms and Ammunition Association, the country’s main industry group, and the Parliamentary Outdoor Caucus Association of Canada.

Thousands of Rounds

“The Parliamentary Day at the Range is the most successful educational program ever undertaken by any firearms group in Canada,” CSSA Executive Director Tony Bernardo said in today’s newsletter. “We've literally changed the hearts and minds of hundreds of parliamentarians and their staff.”

Companies supplied the guns and thousands of rounds of ammunition, the CSSA said. TheGunBlog.ca didn’t attend the event, but did benefit from guns and ammo the day before at a range day organized by the industry group with the CSSA.